Sabres to showcase five first-round picks at upcoming Prospects Challenge

Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres announced on Tuesday their roster for this upcoming weekend’s Prospects Challenge at Harborcenter.

Buffalo will have five former first-round picks in the lineup for this year's tournament, including Konsta Helenius (2024), Jiri Kulich (2022), Noah Ostlund (2022), Isak Rosen (2021) and Ryan Johnson (2019).

Goaltender Scott Ratzlaff was taken in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, and will share the pipes with 2024 seventh-round pick Ryerson Leenders.

Defenseman Nikita Novikov played in Rochester last season and he’ll be playing in this year's tournament. The QMJHL's best defenseman Vsevolod Komarov is also playing for Buffalo. He was the Sabres fifth-round pick in 2022.

One player fans can look for is 2023 second-round pick Anton Wahlberg. The big winger looked great in his 14 games with the Amerks last season. He’s 6-foot-3 and 198 pounds, and plays like a big power forward.

Buffalo opens the tournament on Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. I’ll be joined by Brian Koziol and Brayton Wilson bringing you all the action from Harborcenter starting at 7 p.m. ET on WGR Sports Radio 550.